Mid-wire take-up



Patented M l4, I899.

No. 62l,08|.

C. HENSLEY.

MID-WIRE TAKE-UP.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON HENSLEY, or MOGAHEYSVIQLLE, VIRGINIA.

MID-WIRE TAKE-UP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,081, dated March14, 1899. Application filed December 10, 1898. Serial No. 698,868. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON HENSLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing atMc- Gaheysville, in the county of Rockingham and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mid-WireTake- Ups for Wire Fencing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mid-wire take-ups adapted to beapplied to a strand of wire fencing at any convenient or desired pointand byits operative functions take up the slack in the wire and tightenthe strand and hold it taut; and the object of my invention is toprovide a device or implement of the kind named and for theopurposesintended which is simple and cheap in construction, durable in use, andefficient and certain in operation and results.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention'in the accompanyingdrawings, where- 1n- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention asapplied to a strand of fencing. Fig. 2 is a side view showing theratchet on the tightening spool, the wrench head of the spool, and thepawl-slide or bolt which looks the spool in any position to which it maybe turned. Fig. 3 is atop plan view of the device. Fig. 4 is a detailview of the tightening-spool. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the slidingpawl or locking-bolt.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a suitable rectangular housingor box, open at top and bottom, made of cast or malleable metal, and ofsuch size and dimensions as to adapt it for the uses and purposesintended. The side pieces of the box are carried upward in curveddirection and contour, as at 1 1 to provide ample room for the bearingsof the tightening-spool, and in the widened portions of the sides areformed bearings 2 2 the former of which is of larger diameter than thelatter, so that the spool may be withdrawn from the end whenever it isdesired to take the device from the position on a strand of wire. Thebearing 2 is adapted to take the reduced end of the tightening-spool. Onthe face of the box or casing, central with the larger bearing 2, areformed vertical flanges 3 3 inclined vertically toward each other frombottom to top and gibbed on their inner edges to take and holdcoincident side flanges of a vertically tapering and sliding pawl orbolt 4:, adapted to engage by gravity with the teeth of a ratchet onthetightening-spool, as hereinafter specified. In one end of the box orcasing the metal is cut away for a distance, as at 5, leaving'a shoulder6, against which the strand of wire from that direction bears when beingwound up in the process of tightening, so that the strand will not becarried over farther than the shoulder and lap or become involved withthe turns of the wire on the other portion of the tightening spool. Theother end 7 of the casing is cut away in curved contour substantially asshown at 8, and from the upper edge end of this curve, being that aboutin alinement with the base of the wire-slot, is formed a guide andretaining hook 9, the end of which is carried down and curved back onitself to constitute a means for holding and retaining the wire inengagement therewith and against escape when the device is applied inposition.

B designates the winding and tightening spool, having one part orsection, as at 10, of a diameter to fit the larger bearing in the casing and a part or section 11 of less diameter and having a journalportion fitting in the smaller bearing of the casing. The end of thespool projects beyond the larger bearing, andon this part, closelyadjacent to the side of the casing, the spool is formed with a ratchetr, the teeth of which are engaged by the gravity sliding bolt or pawl,and thus the spool is held locked in any position to which it is turnedin the operation of tightening the fence strand. The end-of the spoolprojecting beyond the ratchet is made angular,as at a, to provide meansfor applying awrench or crank to operate the spool. Atabout the middleof the spool, entering at the union of the parts or sections 10 11 andcarried into the larger and stronger portion of the spool, is formed awire-slot 12, which is curved inward from its mouth or entrance andinclined transversely to the axis of the spool, as shown in thedrawings, the overhanging portion 13 be ing formed with a hook ordownwardly and inwardly extended projection 14, in and under which thestrand of wire engages and is securely held preparatory to, and duringthe process or operation of taking up the slack.

This wire-slot is made inclined transversely to the axis of the spool inorder that the wire will be yanked out of a straight line at the portionwhere it passes through the Wire-slot and be pressed in and held firmlyin the slot under thehook. The spool is held in its bearings in thecasing by means of a split key 15 let through a hole in the projectingend of the spool, as indicated in the drawings.

The application and operation of my improved mid-wire take-u p are asfollows: The device is placed against the slack wire and the wire thenpressed into the wire-slot and under the hook thereon, and when the wirepasses over the end of the casing provided with a hook the wire ispressed into engagement with that hook. The device is now held to thewire by the slot and hook connections. A wrench or crank is now appliedto the wrench-head of the spool, and then by turning the spool the wireis wound on the spool from both directions and the slack taken up. Whenthe slack has thus been taken up, the device remains on the wire, thespool being locked by the engagement of the bolt with the ratchets ofthe spool.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-- 1. A mid-wire takeup, comprising a rectangularcasing formed with a wire-guide shoulder at one end, and awire-retaining hook at the other and vertical flanges on the sideinclined from bottom to top toward each other, a tightening-spooljournaled in the casing having a wire-slot arranged and inclinedtransversely to the axis of the spool and a hook on the edge wall of theslot to take and hold the wire, a ratchet on the spool outside of thecasing and a wrench-head 011 the spool, and a tapering gravity-bolt inthe way between the flanges on the casing, to engage the ratchets andlock the spool against return movement.

2. Amid-wire take-up, comprising a suitable casing having shoulders 6,at one end and a wire-retaining hook at the other,and formed withflanges on the side approaching each other from bottom to top, a spooljournaled in the casing formed with two windingsections of differentdiameters, a wire-slot in the spool extending into the larger portion ofthe spool and inclined transversely to the axis of the spool and havinga wire-retaining hook, a ratchet on the spool outside of the casing anda wrench-head, and the tapering gravity-bolt in the inclined flanges onthe casing to engage the ratchets.

3. A mid-wire take-up, comprising a rectangular casing formed with ashoulder at one end to guide and control the wire, a hook on the otherend to hold and retain the wire, and having flanges on the side of thecasing to receive and hold a gravity-actingbolt, a tightening-spooljournaled in the casing and formed of two winding-surfaces of differentdiameters, a wire-slot inclined transversely to the axis and enteringand extending into the body of the larger winding portion formed with ahook on the edge wall of the slot to take and hold the wire in the slot,a ratchet on the larger end of the spool and a Wrenchhead, and atapering acting bolt between the flanges on the casing and engaging withits .lower end the ratchet on the spool to. lock it against returnrotation when the slack of the wire is wound on the spool.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON HENSLEX Witnesses:

A. G. HEYLMUN, HERBERT W. T. J ENNER.

